2014 Press Releases

The State Ethics Commission issued a Decision and Order (“Decision”) finding that former Southampton Fire Department (“SFD”) Chief Stephen Hyde, Sr. violated sections 23(b)(2)(ii) and 23(b)(4) of G.L. c. 268A, the conflict of interest law, by altering duty records to credit his son, an SFD call firefighter, for work his son did not perform, and by submitting those false records to the Town of Southampton for payment to his son in 2011.

The State Ethics Commission issued a Decision and Order following a public hearing regarding allegations that Elizabeth Gorski, a Selectman in Groveland, violated the conflict of interest law by taking certain actions after Chief of Police Robert Kirmelewicz placed her son, a Groveland Police officer, on administrative leave. In its Decision, the Commission found that Gorski committed a single violation of section 23(b)(2)(ii) of the conflict of interest law by, on one occasion, threatening negative employment action against the Chief and Deputy Chief of Police, but that the Commission’s Enforcement Division failed to prove any of its other claims against Gorski. In a separate order, the Commission also addressed a motion to dismiss the proceeding filed by Gorski on the ground that the Enforcement Division improperly failed to produce documents during the discovery process.

Governor Deval Patrick has appointed retired state Appeals Court Associate Justice David A. Mills to a five-year term on the State Ethics Commission. Judge Mills replaces outgoing Commissioner Paula Finley Mangum.

The State Ethics Commission issued a Decision and Order finding that Bruce Duarte, a senior property manager at the New Bedford Housing Authority, violated section 19 of G.L. c. 268A, the conflict of interest law, by directing NBHA staff to stop the eviction of his brother from an NBHA apartment. The Commission ordered Duarte to pay a civil penalty of $1,000.

The State Ethics Commission issued a Final Order to allow a motion to suspend proceedings, accept the Respondent’s payment of the civil penalty and dismiss the proceedings, concluding the adjudicatory hearing involving Kevin Franck, the former Director of Communications for the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. According to the Order, Franck paid a $300 civil penalty for failing to timely file his calendar year 2012 Statement of Financial Interests.

The Enforcement Division of the State Ethics Commission issued an Order to Show Cause alleging that former Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development Director of Communications Kevin Franck violated G.L. c. 268B, the Financial Disclosure Law, by failing to file a Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2012 on time.

The State Ethics Commission issued a Decision and Order in which it found that the Commission’s Enforcement Division failed to prove allegations that Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Painters Foreman Darryl Clark violated the conflict of interest law by soliciting loans from two temporary MBTA painters who were his subordinates.

The State Ethics Commission approved a Disposition Agreement in which Uxbridge Conservation Commission member Michael Potaski admitted to violating G.L. c. 268A, the conflict of interest law, by appearing on several occasions before the ConCom and by sending an email to the state Department of Environmental Protection, on behalf of Uxbridge Housing Associates, which owns the 66 unit Crown and Eagle housing development. Potaski paid a $2,500 civil penalty for the violations.

The State Ethics Commission approved a Disposition Agreement in which Richard Prue, the transportation director of the Greater Lawrence Educational Collaborative (“GLEC”) admitted to repeatedly violating G.L. c. 268A, the conflict of interest law by, as transportation director, approving payments to a transportation vendor, which employed his wife as a bus monitor. Pursuant to the Agreement, Prue paid a $5,000 civil penalty.

The Enforcement Division of the State Ethics Commission issued an Order to Show Cause alleging that Canton Conservation Commission consultant Robert Murphy violated 268A, the conflict of interest law, by working on behalf of clients of his private business to prepare permit applications and draft plans to the ConCom, and by failing to disclose his relationship to the business.

The Enforcement Division of the State Ethics Commission issued an Order to Show Cause alleging that Agawam Police Department Lieutenant Edward McGovern violated G.L. c. 268A, the conflict of interest law, by giving preferential treatment to an APD officer suspected of driving her personal vehicle the wrong way on a major road in Agawam while intoxicated.

The State Ethics Commission approved a Final Order and Disposition Agreement concluding the adjudicatory proceeding involving former State Representative Demetrius Atsalis. According to the Agreement, Atsalis admitted to violating G.L. c. 268B, the financial disclosure law, by failing to timely file his 2012 Statement of Financial Interests, and paid a $100 civil penalty.

The State Ethics Commission approved a Joint Motion to Dismiss the Proceedings in the adjudicatory matters involving Merrimack Special Education Collaborative employees John Barranco and Richard W. McDonough. Both adjudicatory proceedings were initiated in August 2011 by the Commission’s Enforcement Division filing Orders to Show Cause formally alleging that Barranco and McDonough violated G.L. c. 268A, the conflict of interest law.

The State Ethics Commission approved Disposition Agreements in which two Leicester Emergency Medical Services Department employees admitted to violating G.L. c. 268A, the conflict of interest law, for their involvement in providing false records claiming that several Emergency Medical Technicians had completed 24 hours of recertification training in 2008. EMS Executive Director Robert Wilson and EMT Karen Durant admitted to submitting records that claimed 12 EMTs, including themselves, had attended the minimum of 24 hours of classroom instruction when they had not. Pursuant to the Agreements, both Wilson and Durant paid civil penalties of $2,000.

The Enforcement Division of the State Ethics Commission today issued an Order to Show Cause alleging that former State Representative Demetrius Atsalis violated G.L. c. 268B, the financial disclosure law, by failing to timely file his Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2012.

The State Ethics Commission approved a Disposition Agreement in which Palmer Redevelopment Authority Chairman Blake Lamothe admitted to violating G.L. c. 268A, the conflict of interest law, by participating as a PRA member in efforts to secure millions of dollars in state funding to revitalize Union Station, a train depot he owns. Pursuant to the Agreement, Lamothe paid a $5,000 civil penalty.

The State Ethics Commission approved a Final Order and a Disposition Agreement concluding the adjudicatory proceeding involving former North Middlesex Regional School District Superintendent James McCormick. According to the Agreement, McCormick admitted to violating G.L. c. 268A, the conflict of interest law, and agreed to pay a $2,000 civil penalty.

The State Ethics Commission approved a Disposition Agreement in which former Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office Captain Alesandro Basile admitted to violating G.L. c. 268A, the conflict of interest law, by meeting with his tenants to demand a rent increase, while in uniform, and while accompanied by a uniformed correctional officer, who was visibly armed with a gun, pepper spray and baton. Pursuant to the Agreement, Basile, a Rowley resident, paid a $1,000 civil penalty.

On January 16, 2014, the State Ethics Commission unanimously approved a new regulation that will permit public employees to have financial interests in government contracts that pre-dated their public service, and, in some circumstances, to have financial interests in new or amended government contracts entered into after they became public employees, if they are similar to prior government contracts, and so long as certain safeguards are in place.